As of today, De Stijl Records is making available their new digital reissue of the classic 10-LP set Poetry Out Loud, originally released between 1969 and 1977 as a sort of “magazine of oral poetry.” The originators of Poetry Out Loud were two couples: Peter and Patricia B McGarry (Harleman), from Topeka, Kansas, and Klyd and Linda Watkins, from Nashville. Together they achieved a common goal of “taking poetry off the page,” seeking a return to the oral tradition of poetry. As Peter McGarry said it then, “The poem on the page has no relationship to the poet. There has to be an integral relationship between poet, performer and audience.”
De Stijl is sharing such sentiments by making all 10 phenomenal LPs available for download and turning poets into recording artists! Preview a bunch of tracks on the label’s SoundCloud page, then go here for the download, and if you’re quick enough you can even pick up original LP copies of some of the Poetry volumes for a reasonable price.
• De Stijl: http://destijlrecs.com
